Technology
Tidbits from Jim Phifer
Increase
Your Tech Vocabulary
In
each issue of Tech Talk you’ll have
your chance to test your tech savvy. I’ll
pose a multiple-choice question regarding
a term used in technology or on the Internet.
If you don’t know the answer, I’ll
point you to a website that does.
Here’s
the answer to #2 (last month’s):
What
is a “dongle”?
The
term “dongle” refers to a device
that attaches to a computer to control access
to a particular application. It usually connects
to one of the computer’s ports (keyboard,
serial, parallel, etc.) and, without it being
in place, the application will not work.
In this way, software publishers can prevent
users from violating copyright laws.
In
education, this type of “dongle” is
seldom used. However, the term has also taken
on an expanded meaning, which is “any
small device that attaches to a computer
port”. With the advent of USB ports
on Macintosh computers, “dongles” such
as iMates and KeySpans (see last months article “Mac
and USB: FAQs”) are needed to connect
older peripherals to newer Macs and newer
peripherals to older Macs.
Now,
here’s #3!
What
is an “applet”?
- A small reddish-orange apple with a tart
and tangy taste (great for pies).
- A small application program that can be
called up for use while working in another
application.
- The code name for the newest and smallest
Macintosh laptop computer, due out in January.
- French term for a computer keyboard.
If
you don’t already know the answer,
try the URL listed below. It is an online English
dictionary (with multi-lingual search).
http://www.allwords.com
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